Accor Continues Its Expansion, from the Himalayas to Las Vegas

The hotel giant Accor continues to expand its global portfolio by acquiring new strategic properties, with the goal of investing further in high-potential markets.

Rishikesh and this part of the Himalayan region are home to several growth drivers that international hotel groups are now seeking to capitalize on. Spanning approximately 6.5 hectares, the Fairmont Rishikesh Himalayas will feature 220 rooms, four restaurants, a spa, a swimming pool, a kids’ club, and 3,000 square meters of event space. The property thus targets several customer segments simultaneously: international travelers drawn to yoga and wellness, high-end domestic tourism, weddings, and seminars.

Accor already operates 75 hotels in India and Asia, and its luxury brand Fairmont currently has properties in Jaipur, Mumbai, and Udaipur, with additional projects announced in Shimla Fagu, Goa, and Agra.

At the same time, the hotel group is adding an iconic Las Vegas property to its portfolio: Treasure Island. Opened in 1993, the hotel—inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s literary masterpiece—features 2,884 rooms and 8,400 square meters of casino space. With this acquisition, Accor gains control of the largest hotel in its entire network.

The resort will remain the property of billionaire Phil Ruffin, who purchased it from MGM Mirage for $775 million in 2009. Accor is therefore signing a franchise agreement, thereby expanding its distribution without tying up capital in real estate assets. This is precisely the appeal of “soft brands” such as the Handwritten Collection, of which Treasure Island will be a part: hotels retain their identity while gaining access to a global booking platform and the international prestige associated with the Accor Group.

The Rishikesh region of India is booming and is currently attracting interest from various hotel groups, from Oberoi to Marriott International, thanks to the growing number of visitors who are yoga enthusiasts and those seeking ashrams dedicated to physical and spiritual well-being. The number of travelers is on the rise thanks to direct flights, which for the past few years have connected the Himalayan city to New Delhi, thereby facilitating short stays for affluent, urbanized Indian families seeking nature and tranquility.

Las Vegas, on the other hand, is experiencing a very unusual situation: the city of casinos and shows lost 7.5% of its visitors in 2025, while international arrivals fell by 4.8% in early 2026 and the average room rate dropped to $156.32 in June, down 4.4%. The strategic opportunity to capitalize on today lies in the growing number of international conferences, seminars, and meetings: attendance at these events has in fact increased by 25.8%. It is therefore this segment of the business that likely motivated Accor to finalize the acquisition of Treasure Island, which is set to become one of the group’s most iconic hotels.